


A Slight Twist

by LeonidasVIII



Series: Two Knights [1]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, broken vessel is named Tilted - Freeform, greenpath vessel is named Worry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:54:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26754640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeonidasVIII/pseuds/LeonidasVIII
Summary: First was going to destroy the light that caused their siblings to run and jump and break and die. Quick wasn't going to let them go alone. The Pale King was going to get more than he'd expected.
Relationships: Hive Queen Vespa/Herrah The Beast (mentioned), The Pale King/White Lady (mentioned)
Series: Two Knights [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1957876
Comments: 12
Kudos: 109





	1. Departures

First did not like that their siblings were falling and being hurt and breaking. They would stop it. They would strangle whatever was making them climb, and it would be done, and there would be peace. They didn't notice the younger vessel following them, too absorbed in slowly shifting thoughts of what they would do when they reached the top. When they made the final leap, hearing stone crumble a bit behind them, they no longer had any thoughts of violence. All they could do was stare in awe at the Light. It drew itself up to speak, but they turned as they heard claws scrabbling at metal. Shock rippled through them. A younger sibling had followed them? They moved over, pulled them up, and pulled them to the light. The ones that reached the top were rewarded. The younger sibling had reached the top too, so they deserved a reward. Their attention moved back to the Light. Yes, they'd both made it.

* * *

The Pale King did not pace. He was a king, and, even if all that would see him would be the hollow shells of his children, he would not suffer such indignities. Only his Root was allowed to see him in a state like that. Then, finally, a vessel leapt up onto the platform. He drew himself up, taking a quiet breath, but paused as it turned. And then it was pulling up a second vessel and pulling it toward him. Did it somehow understand that those that reached the top were chosen? No, that was preposterous. It could not know things, for it had no mind. No matter, two chances were better than one. He drew himself up again, speaking to them both.

"You have no minds to think, no voices to cry suffering, and no wills to break. You will be the Pure Vessels, the Hollow Knights, and you will be the salvation of Hallownest." The vessels stared at him blankly. He turned, and they followed him. He sealed the door, and moved toward the palace. Yes, this would be acceptable. Two chances were better than one.

* * *

First knew, the moment the Light spoke, that to reveal emotion would be to damn them both. So when Younger moved to stop him as he sealed their siblings away, they latched onto their arm. They let it go as quick as they grabbed them, after a subtle tug, and donned the posture of a Thing. Their sibling copied them, and after a moment of following the king, Younger spoke.

 _Why let him seal them?_ First thought on the best way to phrase this, allowing the impression of heavy thought to pass over a moment so Younger didn't think they were being ignored. After a few minutes, they spoke.

 _If we show him not hollow, fall. Thrown. Gone. Have to pretend. Keep secret._ Younger gave off an impression of understanding, and the two continued following the Light.

* * *

Quick knew better than to question First. First was the wisest of them, and hadn't led them wrong before. But… Their siblings were stuck there, hurting, maybe still climbing, not knowing any better. But First, said to pretend. So they'd pretend. Maybe if they pretended long enough, it'd become true. And then First could stop pretending and Quick could take all the burden, and they'd be okay. Yes. That's what they'd do. They straightened a bit, and they were not determined, because you had to have feelings to be determined. But they were something close to it.


	2. A Sealing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First hates watching their sibling be "hollow", and hates what they did to the rest. The Pure Vessel feels nothing when their sibling seals the self away. The Pale King needs a new plan. The Radiance gets to nurture again.

It'd been years since they walked out of the Abyss, and First was tired. Tired of training and pretending and watching their younger sibling cut pieces off their personality to make themself fit their father's ideals. Any probing was stopped immediately, there was no quiet comfort or friendly banter that would reach them. First still sat at the head of the bed sometimes, held them loosely. They knew what they were made for. They were made to contain the Radiance. Perhaps they didn't need their father for that. They scrawled a note for their sibling and left in the middle of the night. They were going to the egg, and they were going to seal themself in, and they were going to scream for the Radiance to come to them. And then they would keep her, so Younger never had to be exposed to her.

* * *

The Pure Vessel woke, and read the letter, and carried it to its father, perhaps a bit faster than it normally moved. And his eyes widened and he rushed out and it followed. When they reached the Black Egg, the door was shut and sealed. He demanded that the vessel let him in, pounded on the door, and The Pure Vessel watched in stoic silence, ignoring the way its void raced. First was stuck in there, had done it willingly, and there was nothing they could do now.

* * *

The Pale King was furious. Not only had the vessel hidden that it was flawed, it had now taken the one place he was sure would've been able to contain the Radiance. He read over the letter again.

"I'll be gone when wake. Going to capture Old Light. Stay safe. Try and feel."

Not only was it not pure, but it was telling the other not to be pure either? He had no idea what he was going to do. Well, he had to make up a plan for when she escaped. That was the first order of business.

* * *

The Radiance had heard a call, felt a mind, and pounced on the opportunity. Only to find that suddenly she couldn't feel the rest of the world.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO US?" The voice that responded made her shiver.

 _Trapped you. Stuck in void._ The Radiance growled.

"YOU DARE TO THINK TO TRAP US?! WE WILL DESTROY YOU." The void wasn't attempting to touch her, and the vessel tilted its head.

 _Why are you and father angry with each other?_ That gave her pause. It was the most coherent thought she'd heard in quite a while. _Know about Infection, not know why cause it._

"BECAUSE THE PALE WYRM TOOK EVERYTHING FROM US. OUR MOTHS, OUR LANDS, THE WORSHIP THAT ONCE BELONGED TO US. WE… I AM DYING." The spike of panic amused her. "WHY DO YOU FEAR THAT? YOU WERE CREATED TO ENSURE MY DEATH." A thought, no, a memory was shoved at her, white shells littered across the ground. Empty and broken and wrong.

 _Death bad! Bad wrong scary bad!_ The vessel was panicking, was shoving more and more memories at her, of little creatures like itself falling and breaking, getting stuck on spikes, dying slowly because of an injury, and there were so many, and then a thought, a what if, another vessel in their place, eyes glowing orange, trapped in chains. _Had to stop it, not let that happen! Promised to protect them failed the others will protect them!_ The Radiance was stunned. Slowly, she spoke.

"HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ALIVE, LITTLE ONE?" A pause. Another memory, of unhatched eggs and no shells on the ground.

 _First. Was first, have been around…_ A pause. The impression of a shrug. _Was First, all I know._ Then they froze, and she could feel the spike of panic. She cast her senses out, heard banging.

"...door, Vessel!" The wyrm. She bristled, and felt them press against her, but it wasn't threatening. It was a warning, them telling her to stay quiet, to stay hidden, to not lash out. She did, reluctantly. "You will not be able to contain her, now open the door!" She bristled again, this time at how he spoke of this vessel. Again, they gently pressed her back down. When she did not relent, she felt their full attention turn on her.

 _You must stay! Must! Safest for you!_ That gave her pause. They were worried for her safety? _Father break down door if you escape, have sibling hold you! Sibling pretend to be hollow to themself, would break when realizing not! Father find new way to hurt you, throw us back!_ The vessel was starting to panic again.

"LAY DOWN." They paused, but obeyed. She gently tugged them into a Dream, and they went, curious. She wrapped her wings around them when they appeared in her realm, and they tensed. "THIS IS MY HOME, LITTLE ONE. THE DREAM REALM." They looked around in awe, pulling away gently to run through the clouds. She smiled as she watched them, feeling herself soften. "YOU HAVE A VOICE HERE, IF YOU WISH FOR ONE. YOU CAN HAVE ANY FORM YOU LIKE. I CAN MAKE YOU MANY THINGS, LITTLE COMFORTS TO MAKE YOUR… SELF IMPRISONMENT MORE COMFORTABLE." They paused, and their form shrunk, until they had a boxy head with two thin horns, forked at the ends. And they slowly gave her a memory. Creatures like themself, whole and unharmed and happy. She paused, and then sighed. "I AM AFRAID MY RECREATIONS WOULD NOT LIVE UP TO THE REAL THING, LITTLE ONE." They stopped, and frowned, and then they ran over, and held out a stubby hand. She laid a feather in their hand, and gasped as she felt a connection open. Cold. Cold and so very not empty, so very dark. She jerked back, heart hammering, and stared at the vessel, which had tilted its head curiously. It still had its hand held out. She slowly laid her feather in its hand again, and she could feel minds now. She reached out to them slowly, hesitantly, and offered a place to rest. They all accepted. Soon, vessels began appearing around them. But she could feel the shifting emotions at the sight of her jailer. She had a feeling this wasn't going to go as well as they hoped.

* * *

First was so excited. Their siblings were here! They waited though, for her to pull away, to make sure she got everyone. A sibling ran over and hugged them, clung, and they felt regret wash over them as they hugged back with one arm. They… They had left them. They had let their father seal them away. They looked around, realized how many were staring, were holding themselves with contempt. And when the feather slid from their hand, they took a deep breath.

 _What's your name?_ The vessel in their arms looked up, and they committed their four horns to memory.

 _Worry._ They felt a pang in their chest, and held the other closer.

 _I'm sorry._ They let go when Worry did, looking to the rest and projecting their thoughts. _I'm sorry, siblings. I… I meant to strangle the Light, to tear it apart, to make it go away so we could be at peace, but I got too close and I forgot that I'm sorry I'msorry I'msorry._ And they were shaking now, and another vessel darted forward, one with three horns, one short and the other two, on the other side of their head, longer. Their cloak brushed the ground, and soon they had the oldest in their arms.

 _No leaving._ The eldest vessel, for the first time, allowed themself to shake and cry and be broken in front of another vessel. They clung to the taller, buried their face in their shoulder.

 _No leaving. Never leaving._ The arms around them tightened.


	3. Escapes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pure Vessel runs out of fear. Ghost stumbles away from a once prison, driven by love. The Pale King realizes some of the harm he and his wife have done. The Radiance looks upon her vessels, and burns herself up for the one she never met.

The Pure Vessel wasn't needed. It knew this. Had known it for years now. It knew, like it knew that its sibling was named First and that it was good at pretending, that it needed to be useful, or Father would cast it aside. It went to his workshop, pausing as he heard voices. 

"...with no purpose. And a tool with no purpose is useless, my Root." It froze. Father was going to get rid of it. It backed away from the door. 

"Tools without purpose, yes, but…" Whatever its mother was saying was lost to it as it turned and ran. It needed to get out. Now. It ran, knowing that it was living up to its first name, and thought about exits that wouldn't alert Father. A balcony, perhaps. There was one off its room. It entered its room, looking around. Did it want to take anything? It froze. It was impure. It was thinking, it was wanting. It was impure. It started shaking, looked around for anything its sibling had enjoyed. It… It would go to the temple and tell them what it was doing. What it was doing was… Something it would figure out on the way. It finished gathering things, wrapped them in a blanket, and tied it shut. It walked out onto the balcony, looking back at the room it had shared with First, with its sibling, with the one who gave themself up to protect it. It took a deep breath, and launched itself over the railing, landing in a roll. And then it started running.

* * *

First had chosen a name. Ghost. They'd scared Radi and she'd called them a little ghost and their void had sung as they bounced around excitedly. And now Radi was asking them to wake up. They obeyed, reluctantly, and felt acutely how long they'd been laying there. They slowly pushed themself up, out of breath and weak from the simple action. Then they heard cracking and turned their head, which was so much heavier than in the Dream, and they froze as they saw the door crumble. They knew exactly what could make the door collapse, and two of the three options were impossible. They reached for the long familiar presence at the back of their mind, tears forming as they realized she was gone. They slowly stood, stumbling toward the door, using the walls for support. And then they got out, and paused. A white blanket, with things from the palace, was in front of the door. And there were familiar footsteps leading to it. Ghost stumbled away from the wall, following the tracks of their sibling. They'd been running. Why had they been running? They collapsed, feet from the exit of the temple, shaking and in pain. They slowly pushed themself up again, and steeled themself. They ignored the pain and fatigue and followed the tracks, intent on finding their sibling. 

* * *

The Pale King was worried. His Root, after years of convincing, of arguing and not talking had finally gotten him to realize that The Pure Vessel was not hollow. He'd been noticing things for a while now, and had been desperate to be wrong. But no, the vessel was not pure. He went to its room, thinking to himself he should start using they rather than it, as they were indeed a living feeling being, and froze as he saw the state of the room. Things that the second vessel had often used were missing, as was a blanket. The balcony doors were open. He ran to find his queen. The vessel had run. 

* * *

The Radiance listened, often, for any signs of the king coming to break open her favorite vessel to truly destroy her. But when she felt a mind projecting into the egg, it wasn't the one she expected. It felt like a vessel. 

_Sibling? I… I've realized that I'm not pure. Not hollow. I tried so hard to be, to keep you from bearing the burden you carry now. I'm going to Deepnest. Away from the palace, and from Father, and from everything expected of me. We have a sister, you know. Perhaps I can convince Herrah to allow me to act as her guard. I'm good at that. I… I know no one in Deepnest needs a guard, but… It's a nice thought. If that doesn't work, perhaps she'll take mercy on me and kill me. I brought some of your old things._ A long pause. _I miss you, First. I hope you're not hurting._ She felt the mind leaving, and panicked. She knew of only three ways the egg would open. If any Dreamers that had sealed the egg were killed, but there were none, if the vessel inside died, but that wouldn't happen, or… If she herself died. She pulled back into the dream, seeking out Worry. 

"WORRY?" The vessel looked at her, bouncing a bit. 

_Radi! Hi Radi, carry?_ She smiled, scooping her up in her wings. 

"WORRY, CAN YOU DO SOMETHING FOR ME?" The vessel nodded, curling into her. "I NEED TO HELP GHOST AND QUICK, DO YOU THINK YOU CAN MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS GOOD DREAMS WHILE I'M GONE?" Worry perked up, nodding happily. 

_They'll have best dreams! Promise, make you proud! Gonna do so good, keep Dream so safegood until you get back!_ The Radiance smiled, pressing her head to the vessels. 

"I'M SURE YOU WILL. TAKE THIS." She pulled out a small piece of her essence, handing it to Worry, who absorbed it easily. "IT WILL TELL THE DREAM TO LISTEN TO YOU WHILE I'M GONE." Worry cuddled into her, seeming content. 

_Warm._ She took a deep breath, setting them down after a moment. 

"I NEED TO GO FIND TILTED NOW. BE GOOD WHILE I'M GONE." Worry nodded, running off, and the goddess left to find the three horned vessel. When they came into view, she rested a feather on their shoulder. They looked at her, head tilting. "I NEED TO HELP GHOST AND QUICK. THERE ARE ONLY THREE WAYS TO OPEN THE EGG, AND THERE IS ONLY ONE POSSIBLE. I NEED YOU TO WATCH OVER THEM ALL. WORRY HAS AGREED TO LOOK AFTER THE DREAM, BUT IF IT BECOMES TOO MUCH FOR THEM, YOU MUST TAKE THE BURDEN. PERHAPS YOU ALL COULD SHARE IT, PASS IT AROUND." She summoned a dreamnail, pressing it into the vessel's hands. Tilted stared at it, and then looked to her. 

_You're not coming back._ She shook her head. _I'll keep them safe. Help Quick and Ghost. Make them safe._

"I WILL. GOODBYE, TILTED." She pulled into the furthest recesses of the dream, and allowed herself to burn. She poured all of her power into her realm, her world, and when she had nothing else to give, she collapsed. There was only one piece of her that would survive this, held safely by a small vessel so very far away now. The Radiance closed her eyes, and fell into eternal slumber.


	4. Arrivals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Herrah finds two vessels, and tells off the neighboring monarchs. Pure bonds with their sibling and sister. Ghost finds their lost sibling, and one they didn't know about. The Pale King and White lady learn just how badly they've hurt their children.

Herrah knew there was something wrong with the kings statement of how he planned to seal the vessel in that manner all along, because she was part of an issue in that statement. She was supposed to sleep eternally to protect his Hollow Knight. And then one of the vessels was found at her border. It bowed to her, and did not move from that until she told it to. 

"What does the king want now?" The vessel shook its head, and her eyes narrowed. "He doesn't want anything? Then why did he send you?" It shook its head again, and she huffed. "Can you write?" A nod. "Get it some paper and a quill, please." One of the servants ran off, and she opened her mouth to question it more. But then her daughter ran in, grinning. 

"Pure!" She ran forward, jumping into the vessels arms, and it seemed to hold her closer than normal. "Mama's making me a needle! Isn't that awesome?!" A nod. "And she says it won't be as big as hers, but it's gonna be metal and everything, not shellwood!" The vessel reared back a bit in a show of… Shock, perhaps? But that couldn't be right… Had it somehow learned social cues? "And, and she's gonna teach me how to fight with it! Maybe I can fight you?" It shook its head a bit. The servant returned a moment later, handing the quill and paper to the vessel, causing it to sit, her daughter in its lap, and begin to write. She watched, head tilted, taking it when it was done. 

'Smith ibling seal Radiance. I have no use. Father throw me away. Ran. Didn't want to be thrown back.' She froze as she read it, and read it again. 

"You're not pure. They weren't pure either, were they?" The vessel shook their head slowly, and she stared at them. Then she stood, moving over and crouching in front of the vessel. "I imagine you came here looking to get away from the palace?" A nod. "Well. You're welcome here. I'm sure my daughter will be delighted." Said daughter immediately perked up, looking at her. 

"Do you mean it, mama?!" She smiled, nodding, catching the child as she launched into her arms. "Thank you! Can Pure have the room next to mine?! Please?!" Herrah laughed, pressed her mask to her daughters. 

"Ask them if they want that room." She turned in her arms, grinning as she saw they were already nodding. Herrah led the vessel off, to their room. She watched as they sat, as they allowed her daughter to regale them with stories. She moved on. There would need to be discussion with the wyrm about what, exactly, he had done to his children. 

* * *

Ghost slumped into a hot spring, feeling it revitalize them slowly, the Soul seeping into them. They pushed themself up after a few moments, steadier but still in pain. But Quick needed them, so they pressed on. Leaping from platform to platform was child's play compared to the training their father had put them through. When they managed to get to the mantis village, they knew that they wouldn't be able to get through without fighting. Not to Deepnest. When they reached the chamber of the lords though, they were already fighting. With the Beast. They watched, studied the patterns of the mantises. One was on her throne, breathing heavy, while two fought the spider queen. So one, then two. Another leapt out of the arena after another cut from Herrah's needle, leaving her with just the last lord. She won, and the lords studied her. 

"We made an agreement with the Pale King. We cannot let you pass, Herrah, even with your show of strength."

"I need to speak with him! He's done something horrible, and-" She paused as the vessel walked into the arena. Herrah stared at it, and then moved forward, taking its arm. "Will you at least allow me to take them back with me?" The lords glanced between each other, and then nodded. 

"We will permit you this. Be safe, and be strong, Herrah." They stood on the thrones, and bowed to her. She bowed back, and began dragging them along to a door. This was going smoother than they'd hoped it would! Then they realized she was actually dragging them, because their knees had given out at some point. Perhaps they had spoken too soon. The world went black as she looked down at them, but they thought they saw worry in her eyes. 

* * *

Herrah walked into their room, and she looked concerned. 

"Pure?" They nodded in acknowledgement. "I need you to come with me." They stood, following as she walked off. And when they got into the medical den, they froze. First was laying there, unconscious. They darted over to their sibling, checking their mask quickly before starting to examine the rest of them. They seemed… Fine, despite having trapped an angry goddess in themself for six years. "I was attempting to go speak to your father about you two, but the mantises wouldn't let me pass, due to an agreement with him. And then this one stumbled into the arena, and when I began to lead them into Deepnest, they collapsed. I wasn't sure what was wrong with them, and wasn't sure if you'd know." They wished they'd brought their slate. They shook their head a bit, sitting next to their sibling, taking their hand. They looked so still, so… Not them, like this. And they felt a squeeze of their hand, and their gaze snapped to their sibling. 

_First! First what are you doing here how did you get out are you okay what-_ They paused as a black hand met their face. 

_Loud._ They started to push themself up, and Pure helped, supporting their back, worried. _Been laying down a few years. Moving's hard. Found you._ They leaned into Pure, who pulled them closer, resting the chin of their mask on top of their siblings. 

"Can you write their name?" Pure took the paper and quill, pausing as their sibling took the quill from their hand and wrote. "Ghost, hm?" Herrah crossed her arms. "Can I ask why you seemed to be headed toward Deepnest in a state like that?" Ghost tapped Pure's mask. "And where's the Radiance?" Ghost froze, and then shoved an image of cracked masks at Pure, curling into them more. Pure shook their head at Herrah. "She's dead?" Ghost started shaking, and Pure nodded a bit. "I see. And that's why your prison opened." She hummed in thought. "Would you be opposed to sharing your room, Pure?" They shook their head, pulling their sibling closer. "Alright. Would you like help getting them there? I need to see if the mantises will at least pass on a message for me." They shook their head again, standing and pulling Ghost into their arms. "Make sure they rest, and that they get enough Soul." They nodded, walking to their room.

_So much to tell you, Ghost. Have to introduce you to Sister._

_Sister?_ The younger glanced at Ghost. 

_Yes. Mentioned her when at temple._

_Oh. Was Dreaming_. They went tense. Siblings! _Siblings were Dreaming no Dream anymore, siblings wake up trapped and alone and no Dream!_ Pure pulled them closer. 

_We'll free them. We will._ Ghost hesitated, and then slowly nodded. Disbelieving, but willing. When they entered their room, Sister was perched on their bed, and perked up at the sight of them. 

"Pure!" She paused at the sight of the second vessel. "Who's that?" Ghost patted their face before they could make any move to indicate their name, squirming until they were let down and grabbing a sheet, draping it over themself. Pure looked away, mirth filling them, and heard their sister laugh. "A ghost! Is that your name? Ghost?" They nodded, removing the sheet, and sat next to her. Pointed at her. "Oh, I don't have a name yet! Momma's gonna let her girlfriend name me. But I won't get my name for another few months!" Ghost nodded solemnly, made a grabbing motion at Pure. 

_Paper?_ Pure nodded, going and grabbing a paper and quill, bringing them back for Ghost. They wrote, showed it to Sister, and she nodded. They moved so they could see, and Ghost shook their head, shooed them away. _I'm talking to sister, and it's very rude to eavesdrop._ Pure paused, slowly looking at them, and Sister giggled, smiling. 

"I get to talk to Ghost!" She pulled out her shellwood needle, poking Pure with it. "I have to get to know them!" Pure shook their head, backed off. She grinned at them, looked at the paper as it was handed it her. Pure hesitated, and walked out, taking a deep breath. It was nice, seeing their sibling still kind, still mischievous. They wondered about the others, and how they were faring in the Abyss. 

* * *

The Pale King and The White Lady were not often ones to venture, but this was necessary. There was one likely place for the vessel to have gone, to get away from them as certainly as they could. Deepnest. Which meant they'd have to go through the Mantis Village. When they arrived, there was the sound of conversation from the throne room. 

"...what we can do, Herrah.*

"Thank you. …Please ensure he understands it is urgent." The Pale King walked into the throne room of the Mantis Lords, his root trailing behind, and spoke. 

"And may I ask what is so urgent you would attempt to break the terms of our deal?" Herrah turned to him, and suddenly there was a quiet fury in the posture. 

"Your children, wyrm. The fact that one ran into Deepnest a week ago, revealed it has a mind and will, and that it was afraid of you. The fact that earlier today, a second vessel arrived, the one you sealed, unsteady on its feet from years of not walking, from being sealed in that damn egg!" She advanced on him, shifting fangs peeking out from beneath her mask. "The fact you treated them as tools, as things rather than people, and managed to convince the rest of us of it too!" His queen stepped forward, looking concerned. 

"Herrah, why don't we return to Deepnest to-" The Beast whirled on The Pale Lady. 

"No! Neither of you get to fuck them up again! Don't think I'm not well aware of your part in this tragedy, Root. A mother unwilling to protect her children, what cowardice. What right have you to call yourself a mother?" Herrah stood eye to eye with the root, who stared back at her coldly. 

"None, and I am well aware of that. But I've been convincing my wyrm for years that the Pure Vessel was not pure, was not hollow. That they are a living, thinking creature. And it is my intent to ensure the Abyss is opened, so any others that survived may leave." The Pale King's eyes narrowed. This was the first he had heard of that. Herrah straightened, though, staring at the two a moment. 

"How many."

"Pardon?"

"Dont play dumb, wyrm! How many others were there?! How many children did you condemn?!" 

"They were not supposed to be children-"

"What they were supposed to be doesn't matter! I have a vessel still getting used to voicing their opinion, still having panic attacks when they show too much emotion, still trying to accept they're allowed to play with their sister, and one who can barely stand! They likely did all kinds of harm to themself trekking from the egg to my kingdom! Do you think that you can take them back and everything will be better?! The best thing you can do for them is to give me some kind of letter of apology for what you did to them, free however many more there are, and then leave them alone. Deepnest will take care of them." Herrah turned, going back into the tunnels of her kingdom, leaving the rulers of Hallownest stunned. Had they truly done that much harm? They glanced at each other, and returned to the palace. There was much to think on.


	5. Freedoms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ghost and Pure are given the freedom of choice. Herrah supervises as the sealed vessels are given freedom from the Abyss, and carries one to Deepnest. Worry gives themself the freedom of voice.

It was months later when a letter was handed to the vessels by Herrah. Pure recoiled from the handwriting, fear pulsing through them, while Ghost snatched the letter, quickly reading it. And then they handed it to Pure, gently pressing it into their hands. 

_ Please read it, Pure. It's a good thing.  _ The younger vessel hesitated, and then began to read the letter. 

_ Dear vessels,  _

_ My Root and I have come to realize that we committed unforgivable sins against you two. We have taken away any childhoods you may have had, and caused extreme trauma to both of you. We sought purity and hollowness in beings that could not be pure or hollow, and forced these ideals upon you. We have also committed a horrible crime against your siblings, one we intend to rectify on the anniversary of Ghost's sealing. If you would like to join us, you are welcome to. We will give them a choice, between Deepnest or Hallownest, and they may go where they please. It is our understanding that Herrah intends to be there as well. We would like to see you both again, if you are amenable to it.  _

_ Be safe,  _

_ The Pale King and White Lady _

Pure stared at the letter, inky black tears beginning to slide down their mask. Ghost took the paper, setting it aside as they hugged their sibling tightly. 

_ They know. They know, and they're not mad.  _ Pure began to silently sob, and Ghost just hugged them tighter. 

_ Do you wanna go when they open the Abyss? See everyone?  _ Pure nodded, and Ghost pressed their masks together. 

* * *

Herrah watched as the Pale King approached the door, standing protectively near the vessels. When the door opened, instead of the black darkness she expected, there was light. Orange light. The king recoiled, the root gasped, but Ghost and Pure were racing into the Abyss. She followed, racing down the wall as the vessels jumped from platform to platform, past broken masks impaled on the spikes, shattered on platforms, none of it seemed to faze either of them. She was growing tired when they reached the bottom. A bottom made of shattered masks, she realized with horror. 

But not all of the masks were broken. Some had bright orange light spilling from the eyes. She continued to follow the vessels, stepping over their still living siblings the best she could. Then she saw another vessel, standing, looking around in confusion. They had two horns on either side of their mask, both turned down and rounded. Their eyes weren't spilling orange light though, they were simply orange. Their cloak looked odd, like it was covered in fluff. They turned to the other two vessels, who had come to a stop before them, and threw their arms around Ghost. Ghost knelt, hugged back, and motioned Pure down as well. And then the smaller vessel nodded, and one by one, the vessels began to sit up, eyes losing the orange glow and turning to the pitch black she had become familiar with. The Abyss dimmed around her, and she couldn't help smiling a bit. 

Then Ghost looked at her, and froze. And suddenly they were scrambling over to her, pushing her back toward the platforms. Pure took her hands and began pulling her that direction, both with an almost frantic air. She obliged them, moving toward the platforms, and realizing slowly why they were so worried. She was stumbling every so often, and became suddenly aware of how weak she felt when Pure looped her arm around their shoulders. Then she saw a pale light, swooping down. The wyrm picked her up, and the vessels quickly moved away. She was flown back to the top of the Abyss, and took a deep breath as she was set down. 

"Thank you, wyrm." The king frowned at her, worry in his gaze. 

"Why did you run into the Abyss? It was sealed for a reason, it kills anything that is not born of void."

"The vessels seemed desperate to be there, I had to see what was going on." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Ghost told me the Radiance is dead, and I believe that. But I believe one of your children was gifted her realm before she died." His eyes widened, as did the White Lady's. 

"What led you to that conclusion?" She began to speak and then paused. The light was gone from the Abyss. He likely wouldn't go to check. It was likely that he'd see for himself when the vessel came up. It was also likely that he'd lose his mind.

"You'll see," she said, looking forward to his reaction.

* * *

Ghost was holding Worry, climbing the platforms they'd once ascended before. This time, they would do what they had meant to before. This time, they would save their siblings. 

_ Are you sure you wanna be the first one to meet him?  _ Worry nodded. 

_ Radi told me that the Dream made anything possible, and I'm in charge of the Dream, which means I've decided I can talk! And I'm gonna tell him what he did!  _ Ghost laughed silently, pressing their masks together briefly before making the final jump, landing easily on the platform at the top of the Abyss. " _ You're a bad father!"  _ The three royals immediately looked over at their proclamation, and Ghost began laughing, shoulders shaking. They set Worry down, and their younger sibling stormed to their father. 

"Your eyes-" 

" _ My eyes don't matter! _ " Worry stamped their foot very convincingly. " _ You stuck us in the Abyss and would only take one except you took two and then you locked the door and neither of them could stop you or you'd have hurt them! And you tried to kill Radi! And then Ghost had to get trapped because of your dumb plan! _ " Herrah's laughter echoed across the platform and down into the Abyss, and Ghost sank to their knees, laughing harder. " _ And you made Pure scared! They were both trying really hard to protect each other, did you know that?! And you made both of them unhappy and upset!"  _ The White Lady had started giggling a bit when she saw her husband's expression, covering her mouth to try and be polite. " _ And then she had to die so that Ghost could help Pure! You killed her!"  _ The laughter died down, because they were no longer an indignant child scolding their parent. " _ She was the only friend we had that wasn't a vessel! She protected us and made us feel safe a-and you killed her! Because you built the stupid egg like that! _ " Black and orange tears were starting to drip down their mask, and Ghost moved forward, resting a hand on their shoulder. 

_ Worry…  _

" _ It's all your fault! And I-I hate you! _ " A hiccuping sob echoed across the platform, and Herrah moved over, picking up the vessel. 

"Ghost, would you be able to guide other vessels to Deepnest if they choose to go there?" They nodded, watching as the spider that had taken them in walked off with their sibling. Their gaze turned to their father, who was staring after their sibling with a forlorn expression. Their mother stepped forward, resting a hand on his shoulder, and he took it, taking a deep breath. Ghost turned back to watch for Pure, and who they'd bring up first. 

* * *

When Worry had managed to stop crying, they looked around. It was very green. They curled into the person holding them, and felt arms tighten around them. 

"Hello young one." The voice probably meant this person was a girl. They bumped their mask against her shoulder, to acknowledge the greeting. "What, you've used up all your words in your father? That's understandable, he's exhausting." Worry took a deep breath, nodding. 

" _ Who are you? _ "

"My name is Herrah. I took in your siblings when they fled your father, and I wanted to help take care of any of you who'd like it. It wouldn't be an easy life, but it would be a good one. Then you exploded on your father, and I thought that perhaps you living in the palace would be a bad idea. Now, would you care to tell me  _ your _ name?" They nodded, scrubbing at the dark trails on their cheeks.

" _ Worry. I named myself. We all did. _ " Herrah smiled a bit. 

"Mm, I think my daughter named your sibling. They were the Pure Vessel, and she decided it was too long. So she just called them Pure." 

" _ That's cute. What's her name? _ " Herrah smiled wider. 

"Well, you can't tell her, because she doesn't know it yet, but her name is Hornet. The ceremony is going to be in a few days." The vessel tilted their head. 

" _ Ceremony? _ " Herrah nodded. 

"The spiders of Deepnest are named a few years after their birth. They're given one that fits them, that reflects who they're becoming. There's usually a small party for parents to bestow names upon their children, but since I'm queen and Hornet the princess, we hold a ceremony, which is a party the entire village is part of." She hummed in thought. "I wonder how they'll react to there being bees there…" 

" _ What's a bee? _ " Herrah patted between their horns. 

"You'll see in a few days. They're another type of bug." Worry nodded, pressing their face into her chest. "Can all vessels talk, or is that a side effect of you being in charge of the Dream?" 

  
" _ Dream. I think I could make my face soft if I wanted, make it move like a bugs can, but that'd be weird. _ " Worry tapped her mask, gentle and careful. " _ Like my face hard like that. _ " The light in their eyes began to dim. " _ Comfier… _ " The vessel curled into her more, the orange going out completely, and Herrah took care to smooth her stride. It was never good to wake a sleeping child.


	6. An Epilouge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The vessels are free, and have found a home and family.

Years had passed since the Abyss was opened, and the vessels nearly all came to Deepnest, and had slowly grown. The hot spring allowed them to grow, the abundance of Soul fueling them. Most of them, anyway. Worry simply willed themself larger, and ensured that they were always just a little taller than Ghost and Pure, who often gave them matching disgruntled looks. 

Hornet had taken with delight to her numerous siblings, and still spent time with most of them. Tilted had left to adventure, never one to stay still. Ghost and Pure were the fiercest protectors of their new home, one with daggers and the other with a greatnail. It was not uncommon to find, in a secluded corner of the village, vessels piled on top of each other, their eyes glowing faintly orange. They often emerged from Dreaming to find a massive spider silk blanket over them, woven quickly but carefully, the weavers enjoying 'tucking in' the vessels that had joined them.

Looms had been adjusted to work for the two hands of the vessels, many of whom immediately took to weaving. A few wanted to help Midwife, having heard her job and been delighted at the idea of helping babies come into the world. As Hornet grew, she took to the task of organizing her siblings often, giving them tasks to carry out. She often took Ghost hunting with her, and the two of them made a formidable team. Worry took more to the political side of things, and often acted as advisor to Hornet when she was given a situation to solve. The vessels had made themselves part of Deepnest, had taken easily to the culture of surviving through the community. They’d found a home there, and were all delighted by it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't tell anyone... But I heard the author is writing a Godhome follow up.


End file.
